The Artist and His Muse
by HappinyBaby
Summary: He looked at her milky eyes, wondering what angels like her thought of all day. This was it, this was what his master had told him when he was an apprentice. One day he would meet his Muse. He was sure it had to be her.
1. The Artist and Muse Meet

The bell above the door jingled, alerting the artist of a new customer. The sun was shining so brightly behind her, he could have sworn she was an angel. Once she was fully inside and the door was closed he couldn't believe his eyes. She was beautiful, her eyes were so wide and innocent. Her hair was so long and dark. Her skin looked so pale and smooth. He wondered what it would feel like under his fingers.

"Hello, how can I help you today?", he asked.

"H-Hi, I was wondering if I could make an appointment?", she questioned hesitantly. She walked up to the counter and placed a hand on top of it.

He was surprised, she didn't look like his typical customer. Most of them were full of piercings, with bright hair and had huge tattoos. She looked too innocent, too fragile. He wondered if she had any ink anywhere on her body. God, the thought of her body made his mouth water with want. He took a second to give her a once over. She was perfect, his fingers started to twitch with the urge to touch her.

He realized he had been staring much too long. "Y-Yeah, sorry about that. What were you thinking about getting. Picking an appointment date depends on what you want and how long it will take me to complete it.", he finally replied.

She let out a sigh, "I wanted to get a Japanese traditional dragon on my back". She turned her head away and stared at the ground, she didn't want to see the judgment in his eyes, maybe this was a bad idea.

The clock around the corner chimed indicating the time. He was shocked, to say the least. Why would she want something like that? What if this was a bad idea and she would regret it the next day? He looked at her body once more, tattooing her would mean a chance to get closer. He smiled and asked, "How big are you thinking?".

She lifted her head shocked. The last three shops she went to just laughed at her and told her to leave, saying she couldn't handle it.

"I would like it to be my full back." She replied finding the courage to look him in the eyes. They were so dark, opposite of her own.

"So did you want the usual filler in the background, or what?" he asked. He leaned one hand on the counter right next hers. He stared at the space between there hands and wanted to move his closer, he wanted to know what her skin felt like.

"I'm open to whatever you think is best, I mean you are the artist." She smiled at him.

It seemed like half the conversation was going unsaid in his head. He looked at her milky eyes, wondering what angels like her thought of all day. This was it, this was what his master had told him when he was an apprentice. One day he would meet his Muse. He was sure it had to be her.

"Hm, well if its up to me, then I think I'll keep it a surprise." he was testing her.

"O-okay if that's what you want.", she stuttered.

God, she was perfect, only a muse would have that much faith in her artist. Normal people would question you, they would ask you a million things about placement and color. He smiled at her and reached for her hand.

"My name's Sasuke", he said with his hand still out.

"My name's Hinata.", she said. He raised an eyebrow and she looked down realizing he was trying to shake her hand. "Oh, sorry!" she exclaimed at she shoved her hand in his.

Her hands were just as smooth at he imagined. He stared at her hand not wanting to release it. He sighed as she eventually pulled hers away.

"So were you thinking about getting this soon or did you want to wait?" he asked.

"Um I think soon would be good, I don't want to lose my nerve." she replied honestly.

He smirked when she said that, "Well I can draw something up and we can make an appointment for later this week if that's okay with you.".

She nodded her head, this was really happening.

He moved away from the counter and started to shift through the papers behind him When he finally found a black sheet he walked back over to her. "Okay well if you want to get this started, I'll need to make a quick outline of you back to make sure everything will fit nicely.", he said while walking around the counter towards her.

She was wearing a tight fitted white t-shirt, showing off her amazing chest. He swallowed as he walked closer.

"I'll need you to lift your shirt in the back so I can get a good outline and see if you have scars or anything on your back that could get in the way." He smirked as he saw a blush rise to her cheeks. Oh yeah, he thought, she's way too innocent.

As she reached behind her to pull her shirt up, she wondered if this was a good idea. She turned around and found him patiently waiting. She swallowed hard and began to pull her shirt up, exposing her back to his greedy eyes.

Her skin was flawless, just as he though it would be, but he had to be sure. He lifted the paper up to her back, his fingers grazing the edges of it, touching her skin. He could feel his jeans getting tighter around his groin. Her skin was so damn soft. He could see goosebumps rising under his finger tips. He decided it would best to stop for now and reached for a marker and outlined the shape of her back onto the paper.

When he pulled the paper away, finished, he let his other hand run down her back. Looking for invisible scars or blemishes was just his excuse as he let his hand roam over her soft skin. He would feel himself getting harder as he touched her.

She let out a soft moan and blushed, hoping her didn't hear her. She had never been touched like that before, it was a new experience, and she liked it. She turned her head, looking at him from over her shoulder. When she met his eyes she blushed harder and turned back around.

He let his hand drop from her skin. He couldn't take much more of this torture. Hearing her let out such a soft quiet moan was the end for him. He stepped away from her and back around the counter, placing the paper down on the counter and sitting down.

Hinata was disappointed when he stepped away. She released her shirt from her fingers and turned back around, hoping her blush wasn't too noticeable. She rested her hands on the counter once again and waited.

As he sat down, his mind was racing with ideas for her. Maybe she would like this, maybe she would like that. He shook his head, ideas were running through and taking over his mind. He looked back up a her and blinked. Had he forgotten something? Oh yeah, they didn't pick a specific date. It was Monday, if he did nothing but work on her design he could hopefully have it finished by Saturday. Aside from his already set scheduled appointments, he wouldn't take anyone new. His apprentice, Sai, could take any other customers that came in.

The bell above the door jingled, alerting him to his late scheduled appointment. He sighed as the customer walked. "Naruto, your late. Just take a seat in the chair, its already set up, I'll be there in a minute." Sasuke said shaking his head.

"Ah sorry I didn't think traffic was going to be so busy tonight, don't be mad!", he yelled as he walked around a corner into another room.

He shook his head and looked back up to the beautiful woman in front of him and asked, "How about you come in Saturday morning around ten and we can get started on the outline then.".

She smiled and nodded her head,"I'm looking forward to it". She held her hand out for him.

He took it in his own, grateful for another chance to feel her delicate skin. He squeezed her hand as he let it go. "Until then, Hinata", he said.

She backed away from the counter and headed for the door, "G-Goodbye, Sasuke". She raised a hand goodbye and opened the door. The bell jingled, signaling her departure.

He stared at her back as she walked away, a strange feeling forming in his stomach. The way she said his name made his head swim with emotions. He wondered how she would say his name with her head thrown back from pleasure while he was between her legs. Would she scream it for everyone to hear? Would she say his name as a whisper, a promise, for only himself to hear. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm himself. He walked around the counter and towards the room where Naruto was.

"Hey who was that chick? I was gonna introduce myself but it seemed like you two had something going on.", Naruto said sitting back in the chair with his hands behind his head.

Sasuke didn't say anything, he just sat on the stool and brought the wheeled tray closer, getting the ink ready. His thoughts were still on her, he shook his head trying to focus on the task before him. He would have her soon enough. He smiled at the thought, she would be shirtless and sitting in his chair in less than a week.

 **I hoped you liked this quick read. I'm debating if I should even continue it or if I should leave it as is. Please let me know what you think. I'm a new writer so reviews mean the world to me, good or bad. Thank you so much!**


	2. The Artist

Sasuke woke up early the next morning, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand and yawning loudly. He could barely sleep the night before. Naruto's tattoo had taken longer than he had anticipated because his mind kept wandering to thoughts of her. Hinata, she had said her name was. He groaned as he sat up, his thoughts once again going back to her. Her hair was so long, it was a shame he missed his chance to touch it, run his fingers through it. The coloring of her hair was dark, like ink. It was like she was made to be art.

He sat up and ran his hand through his hair hoping to gain some control over it and failing. He got dressed, made coffee and left for the shop. It was too early to open for business but it would give him alone time to focus on her design. He walked a few blocks until he reached the tattoo shop. Pulling the keys out of his pocket, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. He turned on the lights and headed for the front desk counter.

He sighed as he sat down and threw his head back to stare at the ceiling. His mind racing with thoughts of what to do with his beautiful canvas. She was already a work of art, so it would be hard to add on to that. He didn't want anything too dark, it would make her pale skin even lighter. Nothing too colorful, it would be too much contrast between that and her dark hair. He took a sip of his coffee, frowning at the taste. It was too bitter, but he needed to wake up and focus.

She was already destroying him and he hadn't even tattooed her yet. She was making his mind weak. Her soft grip in his hand, her smooth skin, her beautiful doe eyes were going to be his undoing. He could still feel her skin on the tips of his fingers. He placed the coffee on the counter and started to move it towards his groin. He started to rub the front of his jeans, imagining it was her hands. If he listen closely he could still hear her soft little moan, he groaned at the memory. He threw his head back again as he started to unbutton his jeans, hoping to relive the pressure. Soft grunts filled the air as he stroked himself through his boxers.

"Fuck", he whispered.

His hand stopped to push down his boxers for better access, while the other was gripping the arm of the chair so tightly his knuckles were white. The memory of her saying his name made his balls tighten. The cute stutter of hers that only seemed to make her more beautiful. Out of all his memories the one that stands out was her blush. He started to stroke himself faster at the though. Her blush made him weak. It was so innocent, it was so pure, he wanted to see it all the time. He imagined her innocent face blushing as she was on her knees before him, his cock going in and out of her mouth.

"Shit!" he could tell he was getting closer. He sped his arm up and bit his lip, focusing on only her skin.

The sound of the bell jingling made him drop his hand immediately. He looked up to find Sai walking in the door. He put himself away and buttoned his jeans under the counter, hoping Sai hadn't noticed.

"Hello Sasuke.", Sai said as he hung his jacket on the back of the second chair. "You look kind of sweaty are you okay?", asked as he sat down, pulling papers out of his bag.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine", he lied. This was perfect, this was exactly what she had done to him before, left him wanting more. He frowned as he sat back in his chair, his mind was racing but nothing was sticking out to him. His muse was giving his ideas, but too many of them. He wondered if she was thinking of him the way he was thinking of her. Focus, he needed to focus.

He turned around in his chair and reached to a pair of headphones he left here. Plugging them into his phone he started to blast music, hoping the noise would eliminate some thoughts leaving him with only good ones left. The music was so loud it was starting to give him a headache but he didn't mind. He could finally find some peace from his thoughts. He opened a drawer and pulled out a notebook and pencil. He looked at the blank paper, it was just like her, his blank canvas.

He let his fingers do the work, his mind was too far too gone to contribute anything. The sketch was forming something unrecognizable. He frown and ripped the paper, balling it up and throwing it in the trash. He started again, his head throbbing, but he ignored it. He started to sketch again. He drew different dragons, ones that were thick and bold, some strong and powerful, others were rising from the page headed towards the sun. With everyone he drew, he grew more and more irritated. None of them were meant for her, they wouldn't fit her style.

He took his headphones off, and thought of her again. She was an underrated beauty. Her smile looked like it could end wars. Her hands looked like they were meant to help others. Her eyes looked like she had seen pain and overcome it. He picked the pencil back up and began to draw, thinking of her as he did so. He sketched for over an hour, focusing on her every detail. He smiled when he looked down at the sketch, it was perfect.

The dragon was resting, but not because it was tired from battle. It was resting to preserve its strength. A sleeping dragon, that was Hinata. She was a quiet strength, she had no need to be loud, she was powerful and she knew it, there was no need to boast about it. She had the power to rise to the occasion when necessary, she didn't need to fight without meaning. She was strong, silent, and beautiful.

"That looks amazing", Sai said behind him.

Sasuke smiled and looked up, "Thanks, its gonna take a while to complete but it will be worth it".

He turned his attention back to the page. His mind flowing with ideas for her tattoo. He went back to work, trying to block out the sounds of Sai and customers talking. He continued to draw while thinking of her. He could tell he was already going crazy. He had only met her once but it was as if he had known her all his life. He wanted nothing more than to put ink in her skin and mark her as his canvas forever. A Muse can be just as damning as they are inspirational.

The sketch was coming together quite beautifully. The dragon was resting on large rocks in the middle of the ocean. The sky above it grey, ready to storm at a moments water around the dragon was raging but the dragon continued to sleep, unconcerned. He sat back impressed with the work. He ran a hand through his hair and looked at the clock.

"Shit!", he cursed as he jumped up from his seat.

It was almost time for one of his scheduled appointments. He had a full schedule today and hated to make people late by holding up the line. He walked to his station on the other side of the wall, he and Sai had their own rooms to tattoo in. He cleaned the chairs and tables in the room with disinfecting spray. He pulled the finished design out of a folder and got the paper ready. He pulled out all the supplies he would need and sat them on one of the tables. Just as he was finishing he heard the bell by the door.

He walked out to greet her. "Hey Sakura", he said as he approached her.

"Hey Sasuke, how' it going? Did you finish the design?" She asked.

"Of course I did. Are you ready to get started or do you need a minute?", he asked as he walked back to his station, Sakura following closely behind.

"No I'm good to get started whenever you are", she smiled.

"Alright then", he said as he sat down.

She put her bag down on the floor and sat down in the chair. Sasuke reached over and pulled the leg rests out for her. He grabbed her design from the table and handed it to her. A huge smile broke out over her face as she saw it, a blossoming cherry tree. He was glad she liked it, it had taken quite some time to finish it. He moved closer to her and ran a razor over her leg, shaving any hair that might get in the way of the tattoo. He wet the skin and placed the stencil over it. He moved back to prepare the ink and give her space to get up and look at it.

She got up and walked to the mirror, "Oh my god its perfect Sasuke!". Sakura walked back to the chair and put her leg back up smiling the whole time.

Sasuke moved back next to her, pulling the tray with ink behind him. He grabbed the tattoo machine with one hand and dipped it in the black ink, loading it up. He leaned over her leg and began the outline. The sound of the machine humming in the air always gives him chills. His hands were tattooing but his mind was drifting. He wondered if Hinata would get chills when his fingers touched her again.

Would she let out loud screams from the pain? Would she move under his hands, causing him to make mistakes and grab her harder to still her? Would she talk the whole time about stupid nonsense, distracting him? Would she keep trying looking at the tattoo out of concern and fear? He thought back to what she said yesterday. No, she wouldn't do any of that, she had faith in him. She trusted his judgment, she believed he would do what was best for her. Hinata was perfect, she was the perfect Muse.

"Sasuke? Are you okay?", Sakura asked.

Sasuke looked up only to realize at some point he had stopped tattooing and had given into his thoughts. He frowned up at her, apologized, and continued tattooing. With Hinata in his head he couldn't focus, this week was going be impossible without her.

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I saw the reviews and it seems that more people enjoyed it than I had anticipated. I'm so thankful for the reviews and support, it means a lot to me! Let me know what you think of this chapter. I didn't want to completely jump forward a week in time, it seemed odd to me to do that in this case. Once again thank you and be sure to leave reviews!**


	3. His Patron

He leaned back and examined his work, wiping the sweat off of his forehead with his arm. It had been over three hours since he started Sakura's tattoo. She wouldn't stop talking, she wouldn't stop moving, it was making him crazy. She continued to babble about something as he leaned over her leg.

"So Sasuke are you doing anything this weekend?" she asked looking down at him.

He continued tattooing trying to block out her words and failing. "Yeah I have an all day appointment on Saturday", he finally responded.

"Oh, okay, well what about Sunday? I was thinking about going out for drinks but I didn't want to go out alone", she asked silently hoping he would take her up on the offer.

"Uh probably not, I mean thanks for the invite but Sunday's are my only day off, I usually like to spend them home relaxing", he replied looking up at her.

She did this to him everytime. He was flattered of course but she just wasn't his type. Don't get him wrong, she meets almost all of his criteria but she wasn't Hinata. Sakura was a loyal patron, she made an appointment almost every month, but he though it had less to do with the fact that she liked tattoos and more about him being the tattoo artist.

"Oh sounds cool, I can just ask one of the girls" she said

She watched him begin to tattoo again. She had been playing the long game for months now but maybe it would be best if she just came forth with her feelings. He was a guy afterall, they didn't know a thing about women and they certainly didn't know when a girl was interested in them. She looked at his face and examined his angular features. This was the best part of her month. She loved coming here, having his handsome face be all hers for just a couple hours, she loved the feel of his strong hands gripping her.

My goodness, his hands were so strong. She had fantasies about those hands. She imagined those hands gripping her thigh as he pulled himself between her legs, those hands brushing the hair off of her face so he could see her when he finally pushed himself inside. She knew he would be a rough lover, the though of him naked made her wet with excitement. She clenched her thighs together, trying to calm the fire within.

His hand gripped her thigh ,"Sakura, stop moving".

"Sorry, I didn't mean to", She said hoping he wouldn't get mad at her.

"Its fine, did you need a break? I'm almost done if you can just hold on a few minutes longer." He asked. He hated taking breaks, they were useless, you were always in more pain when you came back. He looked up at her, hoping he hadn't sounded too rude, she brought in good money, he'd hate to ruin that.

"No I'm good, sorry" she said again, "So my friend just got a new tattoo and-".

He ignored her and continued tattooing, he didn't care about her friend or what they got, he just wanted to finish the tattoo already. His thoughts were drifting once more to Hinata. Please, he begged, don't let her sound so boring. The sketch for her tattoo was finished but that was just a sketch on small paper. He still had to do a full back piece drawing, with an extreme amount of detail.

He thought about her sitting in his chair, her naked flesh his for the taking. He though about her straddling the chair with her breasts pushed into the back of it. Her arms gripping the chair tightly, her hair pulled in front of her. He could feel himself getting hard for the second time that day. He let out a deep breath and tried to focus on the tattoo before him.

Another ten minutes passed by with her droning on about this and that, occasionally moving her leg so she could get a better look at the tattoo. Sasuke leaned back, grabbed a paper towel, wet it, and wiped off the tattoo. It was beautiful, he thought. The shading was perfect, the color was saturated, and the lines were strong and steady.

He backed away, "Alright, your good to go. What do you think?".

"Its beautiful, thank you so much!" she exclaimed. "This is why I come to you, I mean your the best.".

He smiled at her words, thankful. Another loyal customer, another great tattoo, another paycheck.

"Thank you", he said while he began to cleaned his station.

She was running out of time. Maybe she would just give up. If he hasn't picked up on her feelings by now, maybe that was a sign. She looked at her new tattoo in the mirror, still red and raw but beautiful. She looked back at him, watching him clean. He always had a deep look on his face, but today had been different. He seemed lost, lost and confused. He was normally so composed when she had appointments with him but today he kept quiet, more than usual. He kept stopping and starting, and had a far off gaze in his eyes. She turned back around and examined her tattoo again. Its too late to say anything this session,she missed her chance. Next time, she thought.

"Sakura? I still need to wrap it" He said calling her back over.

She stood before him and slightly placed her leg closer to him. He reached a hand between her thighs wrapping the tattoo in the process. She placed a hand on his shoulder to steady herself as he leaned closer to her thigh. He continued to wrap the fresh ink until he was sure it was secure, ignoring the hand on him. He leaned back and grabbed her hand, finally taking it off his shoulder.

He began to walk out of the room, Sakura following close behind. He could hear a tattoo machine in the background, Sai must have had a walk-in. He walked behind the counter, getting the appropriate aftercare paperwork for her to take home.

"No need, I still remember from the last couple times" She said giggling.

"Sorry", he replied, "I'm just used to handing them out".

She placed the set amount of money on the counter. "Don't worry about it. So ill keep in touch, okay?".

"Yeah, thanks" he grabbed the money, putting it in his pocket. He walked around the counter, walking towards the door.

He held the door open for her. He could see hesitation in her eyes. She threw an arm out, half hugging him, pushing her face into his chest. He lightly placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her slightly closer, not wanting to embarrass her by pushing her away.

"Well, see ya", she said pulling away and quickly walking out of the shop, blushing madly.

He shook his head behind her, could she be any more obvious? Maybe he should just let her down already. This was not going to end well if she kept this up. He watched her get into her car and then he shut the door. He walked behind the counter, grabbing his sketch from before. He thought about her again for the millionth time that day. He thought about her back, how smooth it had felt under his fingers. How pale and blank it was, how gorgeous it would be covered in ink.

He would start with her back but he wouldn't end there. Her back was just the beginning, he wanted her completely covered in his art. He could see her with full sleeves and legs done, maybe even a chest and throat piece. He could also see her art hidden away from the public view, hidden under her clothes. She was a mystery, it could go either way. He reached behind him and grabbed her outline. It was three times bigger than his sketch, it was gonna take a lot of time to finish that. Luckily he was used to working under pressure and he never missed a deadline.

 **Hope you liked this chapter! I know the physical Hinata is not in this one, but she will be in the next one. I just wanted to finish the scene with Sakura and I didn't know how to end it in the previous chapter, so I just finished it here. Also thank you reviewers soooo much it means so much to me that you actually liked what I put out. Thank you again and be sure to leave a review to let me know what you think!**


	4. The Muse

She awoke to the sounds of traffic, dogs barking, and the sun shining in her face. She raised an arm over her eyes to block out the light, unsuccessfully. She pulled the covers over her head and dove deeper into the bed. She could hear her neighbors next door fighting again. They were always arguing over something, money, sex, kids. She pulled the covers from over her and groaned as she sat up. The alarm next to her bed was blinking twelve am. Oh yeah, she thought, we lost power in the neighborhood last night.

She swung her legs off the bed and stretched her arms above her. She looked around her room, disappointed. Everything was gray, her walls, her covers, her life. She slid on her slippers and headed into the kitchen hoping she could find something to eat. Tenten was already sitting on the couch with her feet on the table eating a bowl of cereal.

"Morning, sleepy head!", she said between mouthfuls."I used the last of the milk, sorry".

Hinata sighed as she opened the fridge. It was empty except for a few eggs, half a stick of butter, a bottle of ketchup, and a can of orange soda. She grabbed the soda and walked over to the couch. She brushed the crumbs off of the seat and plopped down. She turned on the TV, flipping through the channels, ultimately deciding on the news. She opened the can and took sip, looking out of the window.

"So I start my new job today, I'm so excited!", tenten exclaimed. She had gotten a job at the hospital as a receptionist.

"Oh I didn't realized that was today." Hinata replied. "W-well good luck!".

"Thanks, I'm gonna need it", She said as got up and tossed her bowl in the already full sink.

She knew she was gonna end up doing the dishes again for the fourth day in a row. She continued to sip the soda as her eyes glazed over the news. It was the same depressing news as always, talks about crime, failing education system, lack of money. She laughed at that one.

She finished her drink and threw it away, heading back to her room. She pulled her phone off the charger and checked it, she had three missed calls from her cousin Neji. She checked the time on her screen and called him back.

The phone rang twice before she heard his deep voice on the other end of the line say, "Hello?".

"H-Hey sorry I missed your calls. What's up?", She asked.

"Did you forget we were supposed to meet up for breakfast today?" He asked.

"Oh no! I did I'm sorry I had a busy day yesterday, it must have slipped my mind." She thought back to her trips to the tattoo shops yesterday. She thought about the men laughing at her, making rude comments about her body, yelling at her to leave. She thought about the one man that was kind, helpful, and sinfully attractive.

"Hello? Hinata? Are you there?", Neji asked.

"Ah s-sorry I zoned out for a minute. What did you say?" She asked, trying to focus on his words.

She could hear him sigh on the other end of the phone, "Nothing, nevermind, we can just try for later this week, okay?"

"N-no I'm sorry, I'm getting dressed now. How about I meet you at our usual spot in about 20 minutes?", she asked as she slid on her jeans, her phone tucked between her head and shoulder.

"Yeah, I'll see you in twenty" he said as he hung up.

She got dressed as quickly as she could. She grabbed her sunglasses and wallet. Pulling her hair up into a ponytail as she ran out of the door. The coffee shop they go to is about ten minutes away so she should be fine as long as she doesn't get distracted and stop. She walked past the worn down apartments, wishing she was anywhere but here.

Her mind wandered back to Sasuke, the artist from the tattoo shop. He had seemed so nice, he seemed like he actually cared about what he did. His eyes were so dark, it was like he was her deepest fantasy. His strong grip made her mind think of other things. His hair was long but not too long, long enough that she could run her fingers through it. She blushed at her thoughts and started to walk a bit quicker.

What did he think of her, she wondered. Did he find her crazy for wanting such a large tattoo for her first one? Did he think she was an idiot for letting him choose everything? Although, it seemed like his eyes lit up when she said he could have free reign. Something about him was calling her. She could feel some connection to him but she wasn't sure what.

She rounded a corner, the coffee shop in sight. She checked the time on her phone, she had two minutes to spare. She jogged up to the door and swung it open, her eyes searching for Neji. She found him sitting by the window, checking his watch. She walked up to the table and sat down.

"M-morning Neji, sorry I overslept, we lost power again last night so my alarm didn't go off", she said as she reached for the menu on the edge of the table.

He shook his head, "You need to move out of that place already, you know your dad will gladly let you move back in".

"You know that a lie right? He was the one who told me to leave in the first place", she said, eyes glancing over the menu even though she always ordered the same thing.

"It's been years Hinata, he's changed. He talks about you all the time.", He said, hoping she would listen to him.

"He only talks about me in comparison to you or Hanabi and I don't-",

"Hi, what can I get for you two today?", The waitress interrupted.

Hinata sighed and looked down at the menu once more before telling the waitress, "I'll have a blueberry muffin and lemon water". Neji frowned at her words as the waitress wrote it down.

"I'll have the breakfast platter and a cup of black coffee", He told her. The waitress wrote down his order, grabbed the menus and left.

"You need to eat more, do you need money for food?", he asked concerned.

She groaned, "Neji you don't need to worry about me, I'm eating just fine".

He always did this to her. They had weekly breakfast to catch up with each other. He was a successful lawyer, employed at her fathers firm. Her father was so disappointed when she told him she wanted to be an artist. She avoided telling him until her college acceptance letter came and she could no longer hide it. He had said she would never be successful, that she would never have inherited the family business, he said she should just go. She shook her head at the memories, trying to focus on what Neji was saying to her at the moment.

"-Oh yeah, Hanabi just got her grades for the semester.", He said.

"Oh t-that's great! How did she do?", she asked feigning interest. She already knew the answer. Hanabi was doing great and getting good grades in law school. She still kept in contact with her sister, just not her father.

Neji answered her with the answer she expected. The waitress brought the food over, asking if they needed anything else before disappearing in the back. Hinata picked at the muffin as Neji continued to drone on and on. She didn't mean to ignore him, she just had other things going on in her head. Her eyes drifted out of the window and thought back to Sasuke. What was he doing today, could she stop by? Would he consider it rude if she wanted to see what he drew, if only for an excuse to see him. She was thinking of any reason she could to see him again.

She looked over to see that Neji had stopped talking and was staring at her, "S-sorry, what did you say?".

"I said I'm worried about you." he replied as he reached a hand out to grab hers.

She squeezed his hand, "Don't worry about me, okay? My job pays well but I'm trying to save the money for a place by myself". It was half true at least. Her job at VIZ Media paid very well but she wasn't saving for her own place. She thought about using the money to go out of the country, maybe taking a cruise somewhere, or plastic surgery. She didn't like to fly, so no going out of the country. She got seasick, so no cruise. She honestly liked the way she looked, so no plastic surgery, but she wanted something to change.

The two of them continued to eat and talk until they were finished. The waitress came to clean the plates and left the bill. Neji left money on the table and got up to leave, Hinata following him out of the door. He tried to convince her to talk to her father once more, but she wouldn't listen. They hugged and she started to walk home, putting on her sunglasses.

The sidewalks were full and the streets were busy. She was pushed around by the people around her. She always walked with her head down, never looking people in the eye. She thought back to the artist. How would he walk? She already knew the answer, he would walk with his head high, demanding people move out of his way and acknowledge his presence. She smiled at the thought, maybe he was the extra bit of strength she needed in her life.

When she reached her apartment she opened the door and stared inside. She hated where she lived, she debated moving out everyday. She couldn't leave Tenten alone like that, she had only just got her job, what kind of friend would she be if she didn't stay. She paid Tentens side of bills when she was unemployed, she bought all the groceries. She frowned at her thoughts, she wished she didn't sound so whiny. She walked into her bedroom and laid back on the bed.

She pulled her sunglasses off and stared up at the ceiling. She thought back to her idea for a tattoo. She wanted something big, something bold, something that she could aspire to be. Yes, she graduated college. Yes, she makes good money. Yes, she was happy. The problem was she barely passed her classes because she had to work two jobs while in school and couldn't focus. The problem was she made good money but was always broke because she was always helping a friend in need. The biggest problem was that she was happy but not as happy as she could be.

She rolled onto her side and stared at the wall. Maybe getting a tattoo wouldn't drastically change her life, but it was a start. With Sasuke as her artist though, she had confidence that he would change her. She thought about his touch, how rough his hands felt in her grip but how soft they felt on her back. She began to blush at her thoughts, trying not to take them too far. He was beginning to invade her thoughts and she could hardly focus. She knew she wouldn't make it until Saturday. She was going to have to find a way to see him again.

 **I hope you liked this chapter! I'm sorry if it seems a tad dark. One reviewer asked why she would want a tattoo and I wanted to have a good explanation why. Thank you once again to all of the reviewers, it means the world to me. Thanks again and be sure to leave a review!**

 **Special s** **hout out to Koen D, van apel, and DAngel7! Thank you guys so much for leaving a review on every chapter I'm so thankful for your support!**


	5. The Artist and Muse Meet Again

Hinata groaned as she got up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. After breakfast with her cousin she had only wanted to lay down, not take a nap. She got up from her bed and walked towards the kitchen, only to be disappointed yet again. She frowned at the sight of her options, how could she have forgotten they had no food. She closed the fridge and leaned against the counter. She should have eaten more when she was out with Neji, but he always made her so nervous she couldn't stomach any food.

Hinata walked around the apartment, picking up trash and dirty dishes. If she wasn't going to eat she at least needed to do something. She cleaned the bathroom, took out the trash, did the dishes, vacuumed the living room and cleaned the coffee table. The apartment looked amazing, even though she knew it would only last a few days before her roommate destroyed the place.

She sighed as she sat down on the couch, exhausted. She thought about calling the tattoo shop. Would he answer or would it be someone else? What would she say to him if he did answer? She laid back on the couch, her mind reeling with a million questions. She didn't have anything to say to him, she just wanted to hear his voice. His voice gave her wild thoughts, she wondered if he would be into dirty talk. She blushed at her thoughts and threw her arm over her face, covering it.

She took a deep breath and quickly sat up, grabbing her phone. Her fingers dialing the numbers to the shop before her brain could stop her. She stalled at the last number, finally debating if calling was a good idea or not. She braced her shoulders and took another deep breath before tapping the call button. She stared at the wall in front of her trying to focus on the ringing in her ear.

"Crimson Door Tattoos, can I help you?" A voice on the other end said.

She let out the breath she hadn't realized she was still holding and slumped into the couch, it wasn't Sasuke. She turned her head and looked out the window, unsure of what to say to the man on the phone.

"Hello?", the man said.

"Ah! S-Sorry um I had an appointment and um I was wondering if the other guy was working today?", she sputtered. She hoped she had made sense to the man.

"Uh, you mean Sasuke? Yeah he's here, but he's with a client right now. Was it important or can he just call you back?", He asked sounding slightly annoyed.

"Oh yeah, I mean no! It's not that important and he doesn't need to call me back." She replied.

"Are you sure? He's almost done with his appointment so it wouldn't be long before you heard back from him", the man said.

"Um okay then, he can just call me back", she was beginning to get embarrassed.

She waited but he didn't say anything on the phone, she heard only silence.

"Are you gonna give me your number?", he finally asked.

She blushed and gave him her name and number. He thanked her and promptly hung up the phone. She quickly stood up at the realization of what she had just done. He was going to call her and soon. She looked around her apartment trying to come up with ideas, something to focus on, other than her impending doom. What would she even say to him when he called her. Did his coworker think she was crazy, she wondered. Maybe she just wouldn't answer the phone when he called.

She looked down at her phone in her hand and clenched it was no way she would ever miss a call from him. She smiled, thinking about him calling her. She ran a hand though her hair and frowned. What was wrong with her and these back and forth thoughts? Maybe he was making her crazy, maybe hearing his voice would calm her.

She sat back down on the couch and waited. As she waited she kept checking the time to see how much had passed, ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty minutes. She groaned and stood. Her legs grateful for the chance to move again. She heard her stomach growl at her. She realized in all her waiting and nervousness that she never actually ate anything. She put on her shoes and headed out the door, not sure yet where she was going. She walked past her options, Chinese, Thai, pizza, burgers, sushi, ice cream. She smiled at the last one and began walking towards the small shop on the corner.

As she approached the window to order, her phone rang. She felt her heart stop and she nearly dropped her phone from her hand when she saw the shop name come across the screen. She backed away from the window and looked around, looking for anything to give her the courage she needed to take the call.

She tapped the answer symbol on her phone and stuttered, "H-Hello".

"Hey Hinata, I saw I had a note to give you a call back, Is something wrong?" He asked sounding concerned.

She could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest, she wondered how it was possible for someone to make her feel like this.

"No! Sorry nothings wrong, I was just calling because...", she trailed off. She wasn't sure what her reason was at all. She bit the inside of her lip, trying to come up with an excuse.

"Because what?" He asked.

"Well, I guess I was wondering how it was coming along", she finally replied. She hoped it was a good reason to call.

"You called to ask how the drawing was going? You know, I may be fast but I'm not that fast, we only made the appointment yesterday and I only started your drawing this morning", he replied.

She could tell by the tone of his voice that she had chosen the wrong reason.

"N-No I know that I'm sorry . That's not really why I called, I mean I didn't really have a reason for calling I guess" She said, finally deciding on the truth.

He laughed into the phone, the sound making her chest tighten, "Well at least your honest, and if I'm being honest, I'm glad you called".

She could feel her hands beginning to sweat, she was feeling very nervous. She couldn't believe he said he was glad she called. She could feel the blush spreading over her cheeks. Her mouth was dry , like cotton, and she couldn't find the words to say anything back to him.

He must not have minded the silence. "So what are you up to?", he asked.

"Oh, I was about to get something to eat", she replied into phone. She looked back at the ice cream shop and stared at the flavors, wondering what she would choose.

"Where at?" he asked.

"Scoops", she said. She wondered if he even liked ice cream. Maybe it would be polite to invite him. She blurted out,"You should join me".

He hesitated for a moment before hesitantly responding,"Okay I can be there in like ten minutes."

"O-Okay I'll see you soon then!", she said excitedly.

He said goodbye and the moment the call ended panic filled her chest. Did she look okay? Did she smell okay? She ran her fingers through her hair trying to calm the tresses. She ran her hands down her shirt, trying to get rid of the wrinkles. She leaned down to pick some of the lint off her jeans. She patted her pockets, trying to find her chapstick and failing.

She turned her head back and fourth looking up and down the streets wondering which way he would be coming. She wished she was more prepared for this. What would they even talk about? Would he think he was a bit off for her lack of conversation skills? Would he like the way she looked today? Would he touch her again? She groaned internally at the thought. What would he even look like? Did he look just as painfully handsome as he did yesterday at the shop?

She gasped as he saw his face amongst the crowd of people on the street. Her worries were unnecessary when she saw that he was even more handsome than she remembered. She was right in her assumption of him. He walked with his head high, almost arrogantly. It was like his presence demanded your attention. Her heart began to beat wildly in her chest. She placed one hand over it to try and calm it and raised the other hand to wave and get his attention. He raised a hand in response and continued walking over to her.

She dropped her hand from her chest and tried to stop her hands from shaking so hard. She debating just turning around and running away. She wiped her hands on her jeans to try and dry them. He was walking closer and closer to her and her crazy idea to run away was starting to seem not so crazy.

Once he was finally close to her he smiled and said, "Hey".

She stared at him, her mind blank. She had wanted to say something that was clever or maybe something flirty. Instead she said nothing and watched as the smile on his face fell.

"Are you okay?", he asked.

She shook her head and tried to snap out of it. "Y-Yeah I'm fine! Sorry I can't seem to talk around you", she blurted out.

She immediately raised a hand to her mouth, trying to take the words back. They were much to honest and they made her seem a little crazy. Why did he make her so soft in the brain. Why was she making these rookie conversation mistakes.

"Ah", he said and let out a slight chuckle. "It's okay, I get it".

She smiled up at him, "Thanks". She could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks. He was much to nice to her. The way her heart beat in her chest was unreal, she wondered if she would pass out from how intense he made her feel. He had barely even said ten words to her and she was falling apart.

He checked his phone for the time, "Sorry, I don't mean to rush you but I have an appointment in an hour so I don't have long".

"Oh! Yeah of course, I mean we should order now then", she brushed her hair behind her ear and looked at the ground. She wished she had more time with him but she would take what she could get.

He nodded and together they walked to the window to order. Hinata looked up and down the menu, making sure to look at every option they had. She looked over to Sasuke, only to find him staring at her. She quickly looked away from him and back to the menu. The blush on her face was getting darker the more she looked at him.

The teen behind the window asked what they wanted to order, looking to Hinata first.

She looked at the menu once more before telling him, "I'll take two scoops of butter pecan with caramel drizzle in a waffle cone please".

Sasuke looked down at her surprised at her order. He thought she would be a bit more simple but looking at her he knew that would never be the case. The teen looked at him for his order.

"Just one scoop of vanilla in a bowl", he said.

The teen just rang up the order and gave the total. Hinata reached for her wallet in her pocket, only to feel a hand stop her. The rough feeling of his hand on hers made her skin feel like it was on fire. She blushed once more and looked up to his face to find him smiling back down at her.

He dropped his hand from hers and reached in his pocket for his own money before paying for the ice cream. She frowned at the loss, wanting nothing more than to just hold his hand forever. Well, maybe she wanted a little bit more. She shook her head at the dirty thoughts that were beginning to form in her mind.

They both stepped to the side as they waited for their order. He looked down at her and smirked. He was having a field day with her reactions today. She was so open to him, he could see just about every emotion across her face. He barely knew this woman and yet he felt like he had known her for years. He wanted to know everything about her and at the same time he loved the mystery of the unknown.

She stood in front of him, staring into the windows,watching the kids inside make everyone's food. He could care less about the food, he was more interested in her. He wanted to touch her again. Her soft skin had been frequenting his mind since yesterday and he couldn't get enough. He reached a hand out, the back of her neck was slightly exposed. Just as his fingers were about to make contact, she leaned forward into the open window and grabbed the ice cream. He quickly dropped his hand as she turned around her hands full with the cold treats.

She smiled at him and looked for a place to sit. He looked to the side to see an unused bench and called her over. Together they sat, side by side, eating in silence. He pushed the quickly melting ice cream around in his bowl with his spoon, he wasn't really hungry. He looked over to Hinata and felt his cock twitch at the sight. She was happily licking the ice cream. It was melting so fast with the heat that it was running down the cone and onto her hand. She switched hands and began to lick each finger clean.

She could feel his gaze on her. She pulled her fingers from her mouth and blushed, she hoped he didn't find her gross. She figured it was easier to lick it clean than bother someone to get more napkins. She wished she was more talkative but between her lack of communication skills and a growling stomach, she didn't have much to say. She looked over to him and noticed he hadn't eaten any of his ice cream.

"Do you not like it?", She asked.

He nodded at her question, unable to speak. She had gone back to licking the ice cream again. Her tongue making long stokes and causing his mind to go blank. He noticed some of the ice cream had gotten on the side of her mouth. His fingers twitched with the urge to clean it off her face. His mouth began to salivate at the idea of licking it off.

She noticed his nod, "You can take it back up and switch it with another flavor. This place is really nice about that kind of thing".

He nodded again absentmindedly before he quickly shook his head at her answer. He put his ice cream down on the bench beside him, "No actually I don't like ice cream at all, I mean all sweets really".

She looked at him and frowned, very confused. Why did he agree to come if he didn't even like sweets? "Really?", she asked.

"Maybe not all sweets, I mean I haven't tried every type yet.", he saw the confused look on her face.

She continued to frown before looking at her own ice cream. She didn't know what was coming over her but she blushed and offered up her own cone to him, "You can try mine if you want".

He smirked inside at her answer, this was his chance. He was going to do more than just a taste test.

"I'd love to", he responded.

He reached a hand out and caressed her cheek before cupping it. He could feel the heat under her skin burning his fingers. Her wide eyes only seemed to push him further into her world. He pulled her face closer to his before leaning down. He stopped by the corner of her lips. He was so close he could feel her breath ghosting his skin as she breathed. He opened his mouth and swiped his tongue over the stray ice cream at the corner of her mouth. He heard her soft gasp and smirked.

She gasped as she felt his tongue on her skin. He was so close to her and he smelled so good. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes at the feeling. She wanted him to kiss her so badly.

He pulled his tongue back and lightly brushed his lips over hers. His cock was getting harder the more he touched her. He reached his other hand up and gripped her face tighter, pulling her closer to him. He couldn't take the slight teasing anymore and pressed his lips fully against hers.

She moaned at the kiss and dropped her cone onto the ground. Her hand coming up to grip his shirt, keeping his close to her. She felt his tongue flick across her bottom lip and she opened her mouth, letting his expert tongue explore her mouth. She clenched her thighs together, trying to hold back her urges. She felt her lungs beginning to burn and released his shirt and pulled away.

He smirked as he licked his lips, she tasted amazing. Maybe he did like certain sweets afterall, they just had to be on her lips first. He dropped his hands from her face and waited for her to catch her breath. He watched her chest rise and fall as she tried to get her breathing under control. He saw the heavy red blush across her cheeks and wondered if the rest of her body got that flushed as well.

"You had ice cream on your face", he finally said.

She nodded at his words and looked down at the ground. She hadn't even noticed that she dropped her ice cream.

"Ah, here", he reached into his pocket and pulled out a few bills. "Sorry about that ill buy you a anew one", he felt bad about wasting her food.

"N-No I'm okay I don't really want ice cream anymore", she was still hungry but no longer for food. She wanted him to relieve the pressure between her legs.

His eyes narrowed at her words. Of course he wanted her naked and moaning beneath him but she wasn't just some lay. She was special to him, she was his muse. He needed to take his time and do things right. His thoughts returned to the kiss and he silently groaned. Her moan playing over and over in his ears. This was going to be hard.

If he checked his phone for the time and frowned, he had to go. "Shit", he cursed. He didn't want to leave her like this. He had wanted so much more from her. He stood up and grabbed his bowl, tossing it in the trash. He turned back to her and held out a hand to help her up. His skin prickled as her hand made contact. He didn't want to leave her side, he wanted to know everything about her.

"Thanks", she said looking down at their hands still connected. For some reason he hadn't dropped her hand from his.

"I'm sorry I have to get going but I'd like to see you again. Possibly tomorrow if your not busy?" he asked.

She quickly nodded her head. She would do anything to spend more time with him. "Y-Yeah of course just text me with the details". She was so nervous she could barely look at him. She didn't want to seem too eager but she knew she had failed at that.

He nodded his head and looked down at their still intertwined hands and pulled his away. He gave one last wave and he was gone, lost in the crowds on the side walks.

Hinata sat back down on the bench and ran a hand through her hair. What was she doing? She didn't make out his strangers in public. She frowned at that thought, Sasuke didn't seem like a stranger. Her hands still tingled at the feeling of his hand wrapped around hers. She leaned back on the bench and sighed. What if he didn't text her back? Would he still want to do the tattoo? She groaned and covered her face with her hands.

 **Im sorry for the long break I've been very sick lately and I haven't felt any inspiration to write at all. I rewrote his chapter five times before ending with this one. I hope you like it! Please leave a review to let me know what you think!**


	6. His Patron Again

Sasuke sighed to himself as he walked back to the tattoo shop. He ran a hand through his hair in pure frustration. He couldn't stop thinking of how stupid he was being. He was torn, on one hand, he could have ruined everything but on the other hand it was probably the best kiss he had ever had. Her pure innocence shown through in the quick stolen kiss. Her soft lips and small hands gripping his shirt would be stained in his mind forever.

He thought once more of her moan, replaying it over and over in his mind. He could feel himself starting to harden as he walked down the busy sidewalk. He took a deep breath and tried to focus on the task at hand, he just had to get back to the shop. He checked the time on his phone and cursed under his breath, he was running late. He quicken his pace, barely making it to the shop on time for his next appointment.

"Hey! Where the hell did you go?", Sai asked him as he opened the door.

Sasuke just threw a hand up and walked past him, headed towards his work area to set up. He had noticed the waiting area was empty when he walked in and for the first time in his career, he was glad a client was late. He frowned at himself, he could feel himself slipping into back into his old bad habits. He reached into his cabinets grabbing different inks and materials. He could hear footsteps approaching behind him.

"Sasuke, are you okay?", Sai asked, leaning in the doorway. Sasuke just grunted in response. Sai sighed and rolled his eyes,"Well anyway your 'lady' is here.".

Sasuke immediately lifted his head in confusion. Did Hinata follow him here? How did Sai know about her, he was sure they hadn't met yet. He shook his head in stupidity, he must have meant his client. He stood and walked towards the waiting area. He silently groaned to himself when he saw the mysterious 'lady' Sai had referred to. It was not Hinata, or his now very late client, it was Sakura.

"Sasuke! Sorry to bother you but I was wondering if you could have a look at my tattoo? I know its still fresh but something seems off.", Sakura explained.

She was wearing possibly the shortest shorts he had ever seen, he wasn't even sure if they could be classified as shorts with how small they were. She always came into the shop wearing the skimpiest clothes, probably hoping it would catch his attention. He had just tattooed her yesterday, he thought to himself, how the hell could anything be wrong already. He honestly just wanted her to leave already. He was sure this was just another ploy for her to spend more time with him. He walked towards her to at least pretend to be interested, he was running a business after all and didn't want to seem like he didn't care about his customers needs.

"Yeah its like totally raised and red and its still pretty sore", she explained even more, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Once again he groaned to himself. He knew that she knew what happens after you get tattooed. Her complaints were completely normal with a new tattoo. He walked towards her and crouched down to look at her thigh. It was just as he thought, just a new tattoo healing, nothing wrong.

"Sakura, the tattoo looks fine, totally normal.", He tried to explain, standing back up again. He could hear her sigh.

"Ah well okay, thanks for checking anyway I get a little paranoid sometimes." She said. She was starting to lose it, she told herself. She knew she needed a better reason to have come here so soon. She tried too think of a new excuse and quickly. "Oh well you know how like its only you and Sai here? Well what if I helped out a little? Uhm like maybe I could work the front desk on busy days I mean I know its hard when you guys are both working on clients and walk-ins come in the shop. I could handle them while you guys keep working and I could set appointments and such.". She took deep breath and held it, hopeful for his response.

"Oh Sakura, I don't think-" He stopped interrupted.

"Yeah I think that's a great idea! Especially since Sasuke decided not to take anymore walk-ins for the week, I'm gonna be swamped with enough work already.", Sai said excitedly behind him. Sasuke sighed at his answer. Sure they could use someone at the front desk, that was true, but usually that spot was reserved for young apprentices, not random customers.

"Sakura I really don't-" Sasuke tried to say again.

Sakura interrupted him,"I know how to answer a phone obviously and make appointments and such. I can totally handle this job. Please just give me a chance!". She exclaimed, trying and failing, to hold in her excitement at the idea.

"I think its worth a try at least Sasuke, I mean she has been in here plenty of times and it would take a huge weight off of both our shoulders.", Sai said approvingly. He placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, trying to reassure him.

The jingle of the door grabbed everyone's attention, finally, his client had arrived. He sighed and placed his face into his hands for a moment,"Fine!". he raised his head from his hands and finished, "Sai get her set up and pick some afternoon hours for her.".

His very late client began rambling some excuse about being late, but Sasuke couldn't hear her. He was frustrated he gave in so easily to Sakura and Sai, it would only make things more difficult for him if she kept trying to flirt with him. He walked towards his room with the young female client, once entering, he turned on some music. He could hear Sai in the other room explaining the details of the job to Sakura. He groaned internally and turned the music up. He was already getting a headache at the thought of her being here, hearing her voice, listening to her boring ass stories. He turned toward the young lady, motioning for her to sit on the chair so he could place the stencil.

He was always very quiet and honestly he preferred his clients to be the same way, sadly it didn't seem like this lady would be like that at all. He could partially hear her talking about her boyfriend and them moving in together or something like that, he wasn't really sure. All he wanted was to get this over with and finish his other work. He still had so much to do for Hinata's piece and if he was ever going to get it finished in time, he couldn't have any distractions. He contemplated just rescheduling his other appointments this week so he could totally focus, but realized that's no way to run a business. He went through the motions on autopilot, shaving the area, placing the stencil, and having the client approve of the placement.

Once he started outlining the tattoo, he realized he was grateful it was a smaller piece because he could tell he was distracted. His mind started to drift once more to his beautiful Muse. He thought of her lips on his and her feel of her hand in his. He wasn't one to enjoy PDA but somehow, he was sure if it was Hinata, he would be perfectly fine with it. He looked up at his client, just to check that she was okay. She continued to ramble on and on so he looked down again, grateful that he was pretty good at ignoring people sometimes. He pulled her wrist closer to himself and just as he was about to start again, he could hear footsteps approaching again. He looked towards the doorway, frowning once he saw her pink hair.

Sakura walked into the room a few steps, she didn't want to distract him but she did want to take advantage of the fact that they didn't have any doors in the shop. She leaned forward, trying to see the tattoo. "That's really cool!" She exclaimed, trying to strike up a conversation with the girl. She smiled as the other girl began to talk excitedly, it was exactly what she had wanted, now she could be in the same room as Sasuke and actually have a good reason. The conversation went back and forth a few times but honestly seemed pretty dull, she thought to herself. The one person she actually wanted to be talking too didn't seem interested in the conversation at all.

Sasuke could feel his headache getting worse having to listen to the women in his room. He wanted to ask Sakura to leave but at the same time he was glad his client was talking to her instead of him. Why did he always seem to attract the talkative ones. He looked over to Sakura, silently willing her to leave the room so he could truly focus. She didnt seem to notice his death stare. "Sakura, did Sai tell you when to come work this week?", he asked. He was hoping she would take the hint to leave already.

"Oh yeah, He said I could work Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoon.", she replied.

His head shot up immediately, "Saturday?". The last thing he wanted was for her to be in his way, trying to flirt with him while he was trying to be alone with Hinata.

She raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Uhm yeah that's why he said, why?".

He tried to think of an excuse, "I don't think its necessary for you be here then. I think Sai and I could cover it, that's all.". He knew it was a shit reason but it was the best he could come up with.

Sakura didn't say anything but just shrugged her shoulders. Something seemed up, she knew the busiest days for any tattoo shop would be Fridays and Saturdays, so he was obviously lying. "Well, I'm gonna get going, I'll see you on Thursday Sasuke", she said walking out of the room. She continued to walk towards the front desk where Sai was tracing something. She reached around to grab the appointment book on the counter, flipping to the current week. "Saturday, Saturday", she mumbled to herself. She ran her finger along the date and checked the hours. Sai had five appointments already put down for the day, he was definitely going to be busy and would need the help. Sasuke on the other hand only had one appointment for the day, labeled Hinata.

She thought back to her conversation with him yesterday and how distracted he had been. He had said he had plans on Saturday, did he mean with Hinata? Was she really just a client or could there be something more, she wondered. Maybe this is why he rejected me, she thought. If that was the case, she was going to need to put the moves on to make sure she had a chance. First things first, she had to know everything she could about her competition. She pulled out her phone already typing in the mystery girls name. She frowned as she thought, who the hell is Hinata?

* * *

 **Sorry to have disappeared for so long. No I didn't die from random writer illness. Leave a review and let me know what you think. I will finish this and I won't go away for a year again.**


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